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What is the benefit of using a carabiner rather than simply pulling the webbing strap itself directly through the loop that is already sewn on to it?

These days, I don't use a clip or 'biner. I just go around the tree and tie a bowline around the webbing to the hammock.

Most folks have no problem with using a marlin spike hitch + toggle with a tree strap + trucker's hitch setup yet a slipknot bowline IS a marlin spike hitch where the free end is inserted last instead of a toggle.

2. Releasing the double ring buckles can get tricky. The cam locks were a lot easier to release. Found a real easy way to release the double ring buckles - as easy, if not easier, than the cam locks:

Think slipping a knot. To slip a knot to make it easy to untie, when you make the final tuck of the working end through the final loop, tuck a bight instead of the end of the cord/rope. Do the same with the double ring buckles - on the final tuck behind and under the bottom ring, tuck a bight instead of the end of the webbing. This accomplishes 2 things: 1. you don't have to thread the remainder of the webbing through, just the bight - if you use long webbing like I do to accommodate a lot of situations - I use 12' of webbing for each end, then you can have a LOT of webbing remaining, and 2. to release the buckle, just pull on the loose working end. That pulls the bight back through. I can pull the entire bight out and totally release the buckle or just pull a little to loosen.

No matter how tight the double ring buckle gets pulled, using a bight on the final tuck makes releasing the buckle very simple and very easy.

This change makes the double ring buckle easier for me to use than the cam locks were. Tucking the bight couldn't be done with the cam locks and I always had to thread the entire remaining webbing through the cam lock buckle. Tucking a bight on the double ring buckle means that I ALWAYS am threading the minimum of webbing - much, much quicker. Any other buckle I have reviewed such as the Crazy Creek buckles are like the cam locks - tucking a bight doesn't work.

Hope this helps others that are using or thinking of using the double ring buckle.

I don't know why I didn't think of this, but I'm glad that you did and posted it!!
I wanted to thank you and ask you a question.
Do you ever find yourself having to tie a knot behind the cinch rings to keep the webbing from slipping out?
I had that experience the first time I used my cinch rings last week, but they haven't slipped since with just 2 wraps and then through. I'm wondering if I really need to tie behind the rings after setting up my suspension...

...Do you ever find yourself having to tie a knot behind the cinch rings to keep the webbing from slipping out?
I had that experience the first time I used my cinch rings last week, but they haven't slipped since with just 2 wraps and then through. I'm wondering if I really need to tie behind the rings after setting up my suspension...

I had read about the need for a backup knot but thought they were being too cautious as I had never had a slip and therefore never used a backup.

That changed one day when I set up my hammock, double checked the suspension as usual and sat down on it. BANG!...it sounded like someone fired a rifle and I hit the ground hard. I have no idea why, but the rings on one end just let loose. There was no damage to the suspension components. I quit using the ring buckle system shortly after that.

I had read about the need for a backup knot but thought they were being too cautious as I had never had a slip and therefore never used a backup.

That changed one day when I set up my hammock, double checked the suspension as usual and sat down on it. BANG!...it sounded like someone fired a rifle and I hit the ground hard. I have no idea why, but the rings on one end just let loose. There was no damage to the suspension components. I quit using the ring buckle system shortly after that.

Ahhhhhh....ok, I see. I didn't hit the floor, but I noticed one side of my hammock was steadily and slowly getting lower. I got out and re-cinched it and tied a half-hitch behind the cinch buckles with the bight that was pulled through.

I think I'll stick with the cinch buckles for now, with the bight and half-hitch it just works perfectly for me.

I was considering this setup for a while because I didn't like the way the marlin spike was hard to adjust (I had whoopies, but I have a thing about having my whoopies connect as close to the tree as possible).

But I'm now using whoopies and dutch buckles, which I feel is the best of both worlds. The buckles are small enough that they can fit through the webbing loop, so I can even skip the 'biners if I want to go lighter.

Last edited by dfscott; 06-17-2014 at 10:04.
Reason: added link to buckles for clarification

steel o-rings from a saddle or harness shop or old rings from a old saddle your going to discard, same with harnesses, no sense paying big bucks for climbers descender rings, I use brass d-ring and a biner with a 2" strap, any tree, any distance, any length of strap (S) I can adjust hand out, wake up water the weeds, cinch it up and zzzzzzzz OOOOAAAAHHHHH.
PS I have not had one come loose yet but I loop the tag end over pass another mid loop through to lock it and still have a quick release to adjust,
biners also hook to placed chain on old hanging spots, for years I used rope tied to d ring through Chane to hammock to d rings till the 8th rope pop now i use straps.